To be a pureblood
by Silverandgold12294
Summary: The wizarding society is shaken to its core as a scandal is revealed. A scandal that involves two of the most prominent pureblood families in Britain and a girl who was only trying to help her best friend survive. When her whole world shatters, who will be there to help her gather the pieces?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger No More!

by Rita Skeeter

It was with utmost shock that the employees of the Ministry Department of Magical Law Enforcement witnessed a change in status on the archives of one of the most sought-after students of Hogwarts, after Harry Potter himself. The author is naturally speaking of Ms Hermione Granger, best friend of the boy-who-lived and one of the participants in the infamous incident in the Department of Mysteries only a few days ago. Said young lady has been previously wrongly accused by various gossip mongers of being promiscuous, manipulative and power-hungry. Some even had the audacity of calling her a traitor to our Golden Boy and his cause! All of the above relied on her lack of family connections who could protect her from those vicious accusations. It has always been well-known, after all, that she is of muggle heritage.

However, her enemies can no longer attack her with no fear of retaliation. As the ministry officials discovered a few hours after the "incident", and as the author learned from a reliable source this very morning, Hermione Granger never existed! It seems that the use of an unknown dark curse on Ms "Granger" during that fateful night cancelled the effect of a particularly strong, long-term concealment charm that had been placed on her the night of her birth in order to hide her identity from the public. Further investigation showed that the couple she grew up with had no relation to her, other than a well executed memory charm to convince Mr and Mrs Granger they had a daughter named Hermione. The aurors in charge of the case appeared to have reached a dead end at the time, as they had no way of telling whether the girl had been kidnapped, or abandoned by her own parents. Enquiries were made in all magical and non-magical hospitals of the country, in an attempt to find out if there was an archive of her birth in any of them. They were in luck, as a muggle clinic in Brighton confirmed that a woman of unknown identity gave birth on the nineteenth of September, 1979. Both the woman and the infant disappeared without a trace a few hours later. Their description of the mysterious woman, combined with other intelligence the author was not privy to, the aurors reached the conclusion that the mother was pureblood Elena Nott, who perished in October 1979 due to unknown illness.

Now, the author feels certain that the same question is burning the lips of all her wonderful readers... Who is the father? Prepare yourselves, dear readers, for the answer more than explains Ms Nott's wish to hide her pregnancy from everyone, including her parents, her brother, and the unsuspecting father of her child. For the aforementioned father is none other than the head of one of the oldest and richest wizarding families in Britain... The very much married Lucius Malfoy!

If this is not the biggest scandal of the century, the author will gladly eat her quill and tomorrow, your very own Rita Skeeter!

ooOOoo

To say Alexander Nott was furious would be an understatement. He had been pacing around the terrace for at least half an hour, a copy of the Daily Prophet in hand. His breakfast remained untouched on the table, long forgotten.

"I take it you were completely unaware of this?", his wife asked dryly. She seemed cool, collected, as only pureblood women could, sipping her tea in a manner that would have convinced most people that she was entirely indifferent to the matter. Her husband, however, wasn't most people.

"Do you really think I would have kept it from you if I were not?", he answered to her insinuation.

"Well, lying to one's wife does seem to be in vogue these days.", a slight twitch of her lips indicated that she wasn't really accusing him. "I never thought I would say that, but I'm glad you're as old-fashioned as they come, darling."

His wife's soft-spoken words seemed to calm the head of the Nott family for a while. His rage resurfaced soon, however.

"Please don't try to distract me, Catherine. This is my sister that bastard defiled! My little sister! She had a child out of wedlock! A bastard child! And she didn't even tell me, she didn't even let me help her! For all I know, he could have killed her to cover his own tracks!", his voice cracked as he punched the wall, angry tears flowing down his usually impassive face.

"Don't make such accusations light-heartedly, darling. Elena was ill..."

"I'm tired of listening to that story, Catherine. The healers all told the same tale yet not one of them could say what her illness really was, remember?"

Catherine sighed as she approached her husband, cupping his face. "Darling, you're not thinking clearly", she said patiently. "The healers are bound by their confidentiality vows. I think that her inability to name the cause of her illness wasn't due to incompetence. They were the best, after all."

"You think she stopped them from telling us? Why would she do that? We could have helped her, get her better treatment, we-"

"Your parents would have done nothing if they knew she was carrying an illegitimate child, my love. They would only disinherit her and forbid you to have any contact with her again. You know that. Perhaps she chose to spend her last days in peace with her family instead of being abandoned and alone. You cannot blame her for that, can you?"

"I suppose not. But she should have known that she could tell me anything, she should have known that I would never abandon her!", Alexander fell in his chair, defeated.

"She was told that she was going to die while she was pregnant with a child that should have never been conceived. I cannot blame her for lacking proper judgement."

At her words, her husband raised his head from his hands and looked at her wearily. "The girl, Catherine. What shall we do with the girl?"

ooOOoo

The silence in Malfoy Manor was deafening. The lord and lady of the house were sitting facing each other. Neither was speaking. The Daily Prophet rested on the table between them, the smiling picture of Rita Skeeter mocking them both. Lucius Malfoy's gaze was darting between his wife and the front page of the newspaper. He looked, for lack of a better word, shocked. Narcissa Malfoy however, lacked any expression. Her face was blank, stony, and she was looking at nothing in particular. The silence stretched for what seemed like an eternity, before it was shattered by the entrance of Draco, who slammed the door open in his haste to reach his parents. In his hand he was clutching tightly another copy of the accursed newspaper. He looked straight at his father as he spoke.

"Is it true, Father?"

Lucius remained silent.

"Well? Is Granger your daughter?"

"I don't know."

"Does this mean she could be? Did you cheat on Mother?", Draco was yelling now, his hands tightly clenched in fists.

"Don't raise your voice at me boy..." Lucius was interrupted by his wife, who spoke for the first time, her voice as cold as her eyes.

"Answer your son, _dear_. Did you or did you not fornicate with that woman?"

Lucius took a deep breath and finally said "Yes. I did."

No one spoke for a while. Then Narcissa rose from her seat and snapped her fingers. A frightened house-elf appeared waiting for its orders.

"Prepare a feast for seven to be served in the east dining room at eight sharp.", she snapped.

"Yes, my lady!", croaked the poor creature, before apparating away.

Narcissa, without so much as another word, headed for the door.

"Where are you going Mother?", asked Draco, dumbfounded at his mother's reaction to the news.

"Why, to send away the invitations for dinner, my love. It is time for your sister to meet her dearest father do you not agree? And I would never deny Alexander an Catherine the chance to meet their only niece.", she flashed a cruel smile at her husband and made her exit, leaving the Malfoy men staring after her.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: This is my first fanfic ever, and I was so excited when I posted the first chapter yesterday that I completely forgot to write a note! So, thank you all for giving my story and special thanks to those who reviewed, followed or favoured it. You guys made my day!

Important: The story starts right after the events of "The Order of Phoenix", and is canon up to that point except for one important detail. The Death Eaters did not reveal their identities in the cemetery or the Ministry! So Nott and Malfoy may or may not be Death Eaters, but it remains to be seen.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Not even close.

Harry choked on his tea when he saw that morning's Prophet, spilling the beverage all over his aunt Petunia's pristine white tablecloth. He ran to his bedroom, ignoring the Dursley's furious yells at him to come back and clean it up. He threw his belongings in his trunk as fast as could withoumagic, thanking Merlin that he had been too depressed and lazy the past few days to properly unpack. Once everything was ready he stuck his wand in his back pocket -ignoring Moody's voice in his head that was warning him about the danger to his buttocks- and threw the door open, hitting his uncle Vernon, who had come upstairs to yell at him without straining his vocal cords, in the face. He left him there, clutching his nose and shouting obscenities at him, and ran down the stairs, past his speechless aunt and still-eating cousin, and out the door.

He couldn't help attracting curious stares from the neighbours as he ran with a heavy trunk in one hand and a snowy white owl in the other. However, they had all heard the stories about the Dursley's weird and possibly mentally ill nephew, so their interest soon faded. In any case, the past year Harry had had to get used to being rudely stared at, and could ignore it for the most part. This time, he was so preoccupied in his thoughts he didn't even notice. When he finally reached his destination, he pounded his fists on the door of the little house with enough force to make it creak ominously. After only a few moments, an old lady opened the door and let him in without question. The inside of the house reeked of spoilt cabbage and cat's piss. One of the little felines even rubbed its head on his leg as Harry tried to catch his breath. The old lady looked at him for a bit and then finally opened hr mouth.

"Is something wrong Harry? Has there been another attack?"

"No, not another attack.", answered Harry, still a little breathless. "But yes, something is very wrong." The boy looked her in the eye, and in a tone that made it clear he wouldn't take no for an answer, he said.

"Mrs Figg, I must speak to the headmaster. At once."

Mrs Figg made no argument, but simply stared at him and nodded, slowly. She went and picked up an ugly vase with floral patterns and got some floo powder. She then threw the powder in her fireplace and said clearly.

"Albus Dumbledoor!"

They waited for a few minutes, Harry fidgeting in his seat, and then the bearded head of his headmaster finally appeared. Harry couldn't help feeling a little resentment towards his old idol, as their last discussion after the "incident" in the Department of Mysteries had resulted in Harry destroying several of the artifacts in the professor's office. Harry did not take kindly to being lied to, and while Dumbledoor hadn't exactly lied, he hadn't exactly been honest with him either. A prophecy concerning both him and his parents' murderer was anything but a small matter, and the headmaster had kept him in the dark. However, for the sake of his best friend, he tried not to let his resentment show, and kept his expression as calm as he could.

Dumbledoor seemed alarmed at being floo-called by Mrs Figg, and immediately asked.

"What happened? Is Harry safe?", at these words, Harry stepped in front of the fireplace, so as to be seen by the frantic headmaster, who relaxed visibly at his presence.

"I am perfectly safe, professor. But I need to see Hermione right now."

Dumbledoor seemed to age before his eyes. He sighed and said quietly.

"I take it you read this morning's Prophet."

"Me and all of wizarding Britain, professor.", Harry couldn't keep the sarcasm from leaking into his voice. "Is there any truth in it or is it one of Skeeter's fabrications?"

"I am very much afraid that there probably is more than a little truth in it, my boy. There are charms that conceal one's magical signature, and the aurors found that the Grangers have indeed been obliviated. I will take Ms... Hermione to Gringotts this morning myself. The goblins have ways of determining a wizard's lineage."

"You mean that you don't know for certain yet? That Hermione herself doesn't know for certain? Then how did Skeeter find that information if it hasn't even been confirmed yet?"

Dumbledoor's gaze was steely.

"I am not sure yet, my boy. But there will be repercussions. I assure you of that. But for now, you need to return to your relatives where you are safe, so I can escort Ms... Hermione to-",

Harry didn't let him finish his sentence.

"I am not going back. I wish to come with you."

"My boy, I understand that you want to support your friend but surely-"

"Surely I am just as safe with you as I am with the Dursleys, professor. I will not be left behind just to be safe again while my friends need me. People don't like being left behind, I thought Sirius taught you at least that."

The headmaster paled at these words. He looked at the boy said, defeated.

"Very well. You may accompany us at Gringotts and then both you ad Ms... Hermione can stay at the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Do you need to pack?"

"I already have, professor."

"Good. A last word of caution, Harry?"

"Sir?"

"Both the Nott and the Malfoy families have long been associated with dark magic, and sided with Voldemort during the war. They claimed, of course, that they had been imperiused and did not truly support him but there is a strong possibility that they did and still do."

"And there is a possibility that they do not support him. Given that the Death Eaters were wearing their masks and hoods both at the cemetery and the Ministry we cannot know for sure, professor. And even if they are supporters of Voldemort, you don't really expect me to abandon Hermione, do you? She cannot choose who she is related to. Can we go now? Perhaps she hasn't read the Prophet yet, and I'd rather she hears the news from you than Rita Skeeter, of all people."

"Fair enough, my boy.", sighed Dumbledoor. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs Figg. We shall relieve you of our presence now. Come, Harry."

The headmaster's head disappeared from the fireplace, and Harry followed after a quick goodbye to Mrs Figg. Now alone with her precious cats, she sat in an armchair and murmured to herself.

"Perhaps I should start reading the newspaper after all. I never knew there was such juicy gossip nowadays."

ooOOoo

The Burrow's inhabitants were known to be loud, sometimes even to the point of being obnoxious. So when Ronald Weasley entered the kitchen that morning and found his parents and brothers talking in whispers over the newspaper that morning, he knew that something was up.

"What happened?", he asked hesitantly.

They literally jumped at his voice.

"Don't speak so loudly, Ronald.", hissed his mother.

"But I wasn't speaking-", his father interrupted his weak protest.

"Are the girls still asleep?"

"Yeah, I think so, why do you-", George shoved the Prophet under his nose.

"Read it."

"Why what's goin' on?"

"Just read it Ron!", Fred was obviously not very patient at the moment.

After glancing at his family, Ron skimmed the article. His hands were shaking when he was finished.

"Dad, you work at the Ministry. Is it-"

"Not sure yet.", at his youngest son's insistent gaze he continued. "But I'm afraid it's most likely true. The aurors really did find a memory charm on her parents-"

"Thank goodness the poor girl was already here and didn't see that.", sighed Mrs Weasley.

Her husband nodded emphatically. "I'm afraid she will have to be subjected to a blood test by the goblins though, to confirm her identity. Albus sent note that he will come and escort her himself."

"Will he be the one to tell her?", asked Bill.

"Tell what to whom?"

All heads turned as one to the kitchen door. There, flanked by Ginny and Fleur, her hair wild from sleep, clad only in her nightgown and a robe, stood Hermione.

ooOOoo

"Mother?"

Draco Malfoy stood awkwardly in his mother's private rooms, unsure whether she would want to see him or not. She raised her eyes from the letter she was writing and met those of her only child. Seeing the concerned expression on his face, she gave him a slight smile.

"Are you upset, love?"

"Aren't you, Mother?"

Narcissa's smile turned bitter.

"Upset is not an appropriate word to describe my sentiments at the moments, darling. But please do not worry about me. If you must worry about someone, worry about your poor father."

Despite being taken aback, Draco only raised a single eyebrow, the rest of his face carefully blank.

"And why would I worry about him, Mother? Have you forgiven him so quickly as to care about his welfare?"

"Do not insult me, Draco.", snapped Narcissa. "I may be a Malfoy now, but I descend from the mighty house of Black. We do not take well to being slighted."

"Do you have something in mind?", asked Draco carefully.

"You make it sound like I'm plotting, darling.", smirked Narcissa.

"Aren't you?"

"Of course not. Revenge is such a petty, plebeian thing. No, what I have in mind, as you so eloquently put it, is to have your father face the consequences of his actions."

"And what would your noble plan entail?"

"Why, that poor girl is now all alone in the world. Someone must take care of her, give her a home. She's your age isn't she? She still needs a guardian."

Draco's poker face slipped away at these words. He looked petrified.

"Mother, surely you cannot mean to have her recognised as a Malfoy...publicly?"

"Can't I? Why not? She is a Malfoy, after all, isn't she? Now shoo, darling I still have to write the invitations to our little dinner party. Close the door behind you, will you?"

Draco couldn't ignore the clear dismissal and made his exit, leaving his mother to her letters.

ooOOoo

_Theo_,

_It's worse than I thought. Mother intends to make her a Malfoy. Granger. A Malfoy. My sister. I think I want to die. _

_Draco_

_Draco_,

_Stop being such a pansy. As if you would ever give me the joy of being rid of you. Anyway, you might not get to call Granger sis. Father is determined to adopt her himself. Think there's any chance of a compromise?_

_Theo_

_Theo,_

_Compromise? You do realise we're talking about your father and my mother, right? Not a chance in hell. _

_Draco_

_Draco,_

_At least dinner will be interesting. See you there._

_Theo_

_Theo,_

_If multiple homicides are your kind of fun then you will have a blast. See you there._

_Draco_

ooOOoo

Hermione was numb. She hadn't uttered a word since she had seen the newspaper. Dumbledoor and Harry had arrived soon afterwards and tried to talk to her, but she refused to speak. She let them take her to Gringotts, where a frowning goblin sliced her palm with a dagger to draw some blood. She didn't flinch, nor did she thank the headmaster when he healed her. She just waited with her escorts until the goblin returned, a parchment in his hands. She took it without a word and read.

_Hermione Alexandra Nott Malfoy_

_Status: Pureblood_

_Second in line for headship of the Nott family_

_Second in line for headship of the Malfoy family _

The goblin was the first one to break the silence.

"Elena Nott does not mention you in her will, miss, but she had opened a trust fund here in Gringotts. You will, however have no access to it until your seventeenth birthday. Until then it will be controlled by your guardian. What I need to know is who said guardian is."

Hermione, for the first time in all the years that Harry had known her, looked completely lost.

"I-I don't know.", she managed to utter.

Dumbledoor put his hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"Don't worry, my dear, perhaps your... relatives would agree to let me act as your guardian for the remaining year until your coming of age and-"

The headmaster was rudely interrupted by an owl hooting above their heads. The bird dropped a letter in Hermione's hands and flew away, ignoring the goblins' yells about no owls being allowed in the bank.

"What does it say, Hermione?", asked Harry tentatively.

Hermione struggled to break the seal with her trembling fingers, and quickly read the parchment's contents.

"It appears that I am invited to a dinner party.", she said, strangely calm.

Dumbledoor's eyes flashed, but Harry looked confused.

"A dinner party... where?"

"At Malfoy Manor."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Thank you so much for your kind reviews and your support! It really means a lot to me. Here is chapter 3. :)**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is property Of J.K. Rowling. Shocker, I know! But true.**

**ooOOoo**

"Hermione wait!"

Harry stuck his foot at the door of her bedroom and stopped her from slamming it in his face. He bravely swallowed his pained yell and stared at his best friend of five years.

"Mind if I come in?"

"Are you really asking?"

"No."

She sighed and reluctantly let him in her room, grateful that at least Ginny and Fleur were out. She collapsed on her bed, as Harry shut the door behind him and sat next to her. He patiently waited for her to face him properly before speaking.

"How are you?"

She didn't dignify that with an answer.

Harry ran his hands through his hair and tried again.

"Have they removed the memory charm already?", he asked softly.

"They removed it the moment they detected it. I didn't even know. They didn't even let me say goodbye..."

Her voice cracked as she finally succumbed to her tears. Harry hugged her tightly, and caressed her hair in a vain effort to soothe her.

"My parents, Harry...", she sobbed. "I couldn't even say goodbye! It's like I never even existed for them. Am I supposed to be happy with the new parents they found me? A dead mother and a father who hates me? Is that my family now?"

"They're not your only family, Hermione. You're forgetting your brother."

"Draco Malfoy? Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Who cares about Malfoy. He's only a ferret, he doesn't count. No, I was obviously talking about someone much better."

He smirked at her and Hermione gave him a half smile in return.

"And who would that be?", she played along.

"Who could possibly make a better brother than the Chosen One, Hermione? Honestly, you're supposed to be the smart one!"

They laughed together, the tension in the room dissipating.

"You're my brother?", asked Hermione, sobering up.

"Always." He hesitated, then continued. "You don't have to go, if you don't want to. I'll cover up for you."

"No need, Harry. I will have to face them sooner or later, anyway. Besides, who doesn't love a good dinner party?"

Harry would never dare to tell her, but he was pretty sure that she had got the smirk adorning her face that moment from the Malfoy side of her family.

ooOOoo

The Malfoy Manor had not seemed so festive since New Year's Eve. Narcissa was clearly a woman on a mission, busily checking on all the little details. The impromptu "little dinner party", as she had dubbed it, could have easily fed an army, for all the food she had her house-elves cook. The poor little creatures were only a step away from panicking, while desperately trying to put together in only a few hours a feast that would normally take them a few days to prepare.

Draco apparently agreed that her mother's efforts were a bit over the top.

"Are you familiar with the meaning of the word 'little', Mother? Because I would be willing to bet my head that fifteen courses sans desert is not exactly one would call a 'spontaneous family gathering'. I am particularly fond of my head, so that ought to mean something to you. And why is the ballroom being prepared for? I wasn't aware we were having a ball."

Narcissa shot her son a glare.

"Try to contain your sarcasm, darling, it's not very attractive. I had to make a slight but necessary change of plans, due to the circumstances."

"What kind of circumstances required a ball?"

"Do stop calling it a ball, Draco. It is hardly a ball when there are only four couples on the dance floor. It is merely a chance for our family to... bond."

"Let's assume, for the sake of the conversation, that I overlook the fact that there are not four couples, given that we are lacking a female. Mother, you cannot possibly believe this particular... group, for lack of a better word, of people would ever bond over a waltz! Theo wrote that his Mr Nott is looking for ways to murder Father and make it look as an accident as we speak! And none of us is exactly on great terms with Granger. Hell, I'm not even on _speaking_ terms with Granger. She broke my nose in third year and I've been calling her a mudblood ever since we first met!"

Narcissa's only smiled and patted his cheek.

"No need to worry about not having a dancing partner, darling. I arranged for your fiancee to be here as well. Daphne was delighted to have been invited. Such a lovely girl, is she not?"

"You invited _Daphne_? How is that supposed to make anything better? And what about-"

"I am still your mother, Draco, and I will not condone your yelling at me. Mind your manners."

Draco sighed. "Forgive me, Mother."

"You are forgiven, darling. I understand your objections, but please trust me when I say I have my reasons for this. You will understand them soon enough."

On contrary to general belief, Draco knew when it was time to graciously accept defeat.

"Alright, Mother. I shall go and get ready for dinner, then."

"Just one little thing, before you leave."

"Mother?"

"Hermione is your sister now, and a Malfoy, and you will treat her as such. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal.", said Draco through gritted teeth.

"Excellent! Now shoo. It is nearly dinner time!"

ooOOoo

"I still don't see why all this fuss is necessary."

After two and a half hours of being subjected to the torture that Fleur and Ginny had the audacity to call 'pampering', Hermione was ready to bolt as soon as an opportunity presented itself. Even her normally wild, untamable hair had admitted defeat when faced with huge amounts of a concoction created by Fleur's mother, that left it shiny and silky soft to the touch. Although she secretly thought it wasn't a bad change, she nevertheless couldn't see why it had to be twisted and pulled for hours they found the 'perfect style'.

"May I remind you that I'm not going to a ball? I just don't understand why I have to be pretty to meet a bunch of people who would probably prefer it if I had never been born."

"Shut up, Mione.", chided Ginny impatiently. "You know, inviting you to a family dinner as soon as they hear the news is a bit much for people who would rather you never existed, don't you think? They're giving this a chance, and you should too."

"First impressions are extremely important.", added Fleur helpfully.

"The Malfoys have seen me plenty of times before, and so has Nott Junior. We do go to the same school. They never seemed to hold any particular affetion for me, though. In fact, I recall my dearest brother calling me a Mudblood on several occasions. Unless of course that was only a show of sibling rivalry."

"Hilarious, Hermione. What Fleur was trying to say, before you so rudely interrupted, was that none of them has had the opportunity to really get to know you, just as you've never had the chance to know them. Maybe there's more to them than we thought."

"I can't believe you of all people is asking me to give them a chance, Ginny. Did you forget what happened in your first year? I was petrified and you almost died, all because Lucius Malfoy thought it would be convenient to get rid of a dark artifact while framing incriminating the Weasleys at the same time!"

Ginny blanched at the reminder of the diary that had nearly made a murderer out of her when she was only eleven.

"No one has been able to prove that it was him who gave the... the diary."

"Harry saw him-"

"It wouldn't be the first time Harry's been wrong about something, would it?"

"Fair enough.", sighed Hermione. "I'll give them a chance, if it's that important to you."

"Don't try to pretend it doesn't matter to you, Mione. I know you better than that."

Hermione had no answer to that.

"Now that this is all settled", said Fleur in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere, "we can move on to more important matters. What shall you wear?"

Ginny immediately brightened at the question.

"Of course! Hurry up, girls we have a lot of things for Mione to try on..."

Hermione groaned.

ooOOoo

Malfoy Mansion, 20.03

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Narcissa and Catherine were doing their best to keep up a semblance of a conversation amongst the adults, but their husbands were stubbornly silent. Alexander kept shooting glares at Lucious, who looked like he would rather be anywhere but there.

The younger members of the company weren't faring much better. Daphne was desperately trying to catch her fiancee's attention, but Draco was determined to ignore her presence in his house, and was staring at his glass of wine as if it contained the secrets of the universe. Theo was the only one who appeared relaxed, a slight twist of his lips indicating that he was rather amused by his best friend's current predicament.

The sudden appearance of a house-elf immediately drew the attention of the entire party.

"Miss Hermione has arrived, lady Malfoy."

Narcissa rose from her seat, followed by everyone else.

"Send her in.", she commanded imperiously.

The creature bowed and disappeared. A few moments later the doors were opened and a girl in a royal blue dress entered the room. Lucius's glass slipped from his hand.

Narcissa ignored her husband's shock and glided forward to greet her.

"Welcome, Hermione. I am so pleased you chose to accept my invitation."

Catherine hurried to greet the girl herself. Draco and Daphne offered polite nods, which she returned. Theo gave her a smirk and a wink she pretended she didn't see. Finally, Alexander slowly approached her and touched her cheek with a trembling hand. He spoke so softly that his words were almost inaudible.

"You look so much like your mother. It's like my sister never died." He smiled. "I am very glad to finally meet you Hermione."

Hermione just smiled back, unsure about what she ought to say. Lucius chose that moment to speak, carefully avoiding to look at her face.

"Shall we proceed to dinner, then?"

He left the room, the rest following his lead.

"And what an interesting dinner it will be. Shall we... Hermione?"

She was startled by his sudden appearance at her side, but took the arm he offered. Together, they too left the now empty living room.

An interesting dinner, indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Thank you all so much for giving this story a chance! In response to a review I got, Hermione is younger than Draco in this story. It's my mistake for not making it clear before, but it is a necessary change. Had I kept her canon age, she would be an adult in only a few months, therefore the debate concerning her guardianship would be kind of pointless. Any other questions are welcome, as is constructive criticism. Now, here is the new chapter! Reviews please? :)

Diclaimer:Not mine!

ooOOoo

Even though Hermione knew the Malfoys to be infamously rich, nothing could have prepared her for seeing that wealth with her own eyes. As she had used a port-key that brought her directly in the waiting room, and had been far too anxious about the impending introductions, she had failed to really take in her surroundings. An unforgivable mistake, the ever paranoid, Alastor Moody would say. Now, relaxing slightly as she was being led to the dining room on the arm of her surprisingly gallant Slytherin cousin, she could at last take her time to observe the house her childhood nemesis had grew up in.

For once, Hermione decided she might be able to forgive Malfoy for being an arrogant prat. The Manor looked big enough to accommodate the entire Weasley clan, and still have more than enough room for them to invite all their friends for a sleep-over. However, although immense, it wasn't really the Mansion's size that made it seem so intimidating to her. Nor was it the the exquisite antique furnishing of the rooms. It was the vast collection of family portraits adorning the walls that unnerved her. The long line of Malfoy men and women, curiously peering down at her, reminded her just how old the family was, and brought out the deeply-rooted feelings of inadequacy their heir had planted in her so long ago when he decided to call her that name she hated so much. Mudblood. She unconsciously removed her arm from Theo's, who appeared confused and almost hurt at her sudden hostility.

To her surprise, it was none other than Draco himself who noticed her misery and startled her out of it.

"Never mind them", he whispered so only she would hear. "They're just desperate to see something interesting for once. Things can be quite dull around here. The sudden appearance of a new Malfoy will keep them entertained for weeks."

He smirked at her and took advantage of her surprise at his intervention to link their arms together, deliberately ignoring the scathing glares Daphne shot both of them as he did so.

Before Hermione could respond, the party reached the doors to the dining room that opened as they approached. The room was majestic. Beautiful chandeliers shed light to a dining table set for eight. Eight house-elves popped in and pulled their seats for them. Lucious and Narcissa sat facing each other, at the ends of the table. Alexander sat on Narcissa's right side and Catherine on Lucius's. Draco opted for his mother's left, and pulled Hermione next to him. Theo immediately sat on her other side, leaving Daphne sitting between the two elder Notts, a position she clearly resented, if the rather sullen look on her face was any indication.

As soon as they had all settled into their seats, their glasses were magically filled with champagne. Narcissa raised hers, effectively catching everyone's attention.

"Before we start, I would like to say a few words. I believe I have made it clear that Hermione is now a member of the Malfoy family", she pretended not to see Alexander's mutinous expression at this declaration, "which by extension links the Malfoy and Nott families together. Daphne will soon enter this family as well. So, now that we are finally gathered here together, I would like to propose a toast... to family!"

They all had no choice but to raise their own glasses and repeat after her. The elder Notts, however, obviously disagreed with Hermione being dubbed a Malfoy, as did Lucious, though for different reasons. Hermione was almost certain she saw Draco wince at the mention of Daphne, who was for some reason smiling at her smugly. Theo looked, once more, simply amused.

Once the toast was over, the first course was swiftly served by several house-elves. Hermione forced herself to keep quiet, seeing such a large number of them serving a single home. Draco and Theo both noticed her reaction and snorted to themselves. Oh well, it seemed that news of SPEW had travelled further than she thought. She was distracted by Alexander, who was the first to open a conversation.

"So, Hermione", he started, smiling at her. "You are a Gryffindor, if I have heard correctly?"

Hermione smiled back.

"That's right, sir-"

"Call me uncle."

Her smile widened.

"Alright, uncle. I am a Gryffindor, yes."

"I was surprised to hear that, to be perfectly honest.", said Narcissa. "From what I gathered from Draco's letters, you were the best student in your year."

"Cleverest witch of her generation, as the professors like to call her.", piped in Theo.

"Teacher's pet.", grumbled Draco, though his lips were twitching.

"As I was saying", continued Narcissa, unfazed by the interruptions, "it just made more sense for you to be in Ravenclaw, an intellect like yours."

Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair. "Well, the hat did briefly consider Ravenclaw, but ultimately it decided that Gryffindor suited me better."

"Briefly?", laughed Theo. "Your sorting took as long as Potter's, and that says something."

Hermione suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Well, it didn't seem to be very long at the time. I was extremely nervous."

"No, you weren't!", exclaimed Draco. "You were the most excited one of us all. I remember you kept mentioning random facts and spells you'd red about in the summer. Extremely annoying, if you ask me."

"Perhaps the hat considered another house, then?", asked her uncle innocently, though his smile was anything but. "Hufflepuff, perhaps?"

Draco snorted. "Her, a Hufflepuff? Have you been blackmailing anyone lately, Hermione?"

At this, even Lucius turned to look at Hermione with something akin to interest.

"It was hardly blackmail, Draco. That woman was slandering my name with intel she gathered by using an unregistered animagus form. I merely... pointed out the consequences of her actions to her career, should she insist on following that path."

"And that is what blackmailing is all about, is it not?", interjected Theo. He was the only one who seemed to understand what the siblings were talking about.

"Well, I only did what was necessary to help my friends. A very Hufflepuff quality, in my opinion."

"Is that so? Was it also necessary to have Umbridge trampled by a herd of enraged centaurs?"

"It's not my fault she chose to tell said herd of centaurs that they're no better than cattle."

"And I suppose it's not your fault that that stupid girl who decided to talk about your beloved Dumbledoor's Army is still walking around with the word 'snitch' on her forehead, right?"

"They were all warned that I would immediately know of any rats. It's not my fault she was stupid enough to ignore my warning."

The rest of the party watched fascinated as the Gryffindor Golden Girl they'd heard and read about was painted in a completely new light. Hermione didn't even notice their staring, too busy as she was glaring at Draco.

"What's your point, anyway. Do you even have one?"

Draco raised his eyebrow. "Don't insult me, little sister. My point is, that I know what you're trying to hide. Hufflepuff was never considered, was it? In fact, I'm willing to bet my new Firebolt that the hat wanted to put you to Slytherin!"

Everyone appeared to agree with Draco's conclusion. Alexander had a proud smile on his face, and Theo looked very pleased with himself. Catherine was curiously looking at her son, Narcissa smiled imperiously as if she had known this all along, and Daphne was more sullen than ever. But Lucius's reaction was by far the most interesting one. He was watching his new-found daughter intently, like he was searching her face for something.

"Fine, Draco, if it's so important for you to know", huffed Hermione, resigned. "The sorting hat wanted to put me to Slytherin, but it decided that my muggle upbringing would isolate me from my housemates, so it chose Gryffindor instead. Happy?"

"Very."

"That's enough, Draco."

Even Lucius himself was surprised at his intervention. He schooled his features to hide it, however, and, for the first time that evening, he directly addressed Hermione.

"Do you have any plans for your career... Hermione?"

Narcissa could have sworn that for a moment, there was a smile on his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Ok, first of all... Please please please don't kill me! I know I am horribly late with this update, but to my defence, I have been very busy with my first year of uni, which did not really leave me time for anything else. In any case, please give me a chance to try again, as I promise to do my best to update once a week no matter what. Thank you to all those who did not give up on me and my story, and continued to leave me wonderful reviews and follow/favourite me even months after the last update. If it wasn't for you guys, I don't think I would have had the will to start again. Thank you thank you thank you! As always, please review it will really make my day!

Disclaimer: Not mine :(

If Narcissa and the elder Notts were surprised at Lucius' attempt at polite conversation, they expertly hid it form the other members of their party. The younger  
people, though, were not yet so adept at keeping their emotions in check. Draco was mutely staring at his father as if he had grown another head, while Daphne was looking merely confused. Theo managed to keep himself a little more in check, only his raised eyebrows displaying his shock at this unexpected turn of events. As for Hermione, her new father's words had such an effect on her that she momentarily forgot the actual content of his question, as well as the fact that manners dictated she answered him. She made a rather quick recovery, however, and hesitantly spoke, carefully choosing her words.

"Um… I am not yet sure Mr Malfoy, but I was thinking of entering the field of magical law…"

"Typical really. Did you actually search for the most complicated field on the market and picked it for your career?", Draco could not help interrupting.

"Don't be absurd. The most difficult field to enter would be the Department of Mysteries", was Hermione's irritated response.

"Then how did you let that slip through your fingers, Granger? Finally found something you cannot do? Must be devastating for the 'smartest witch of her age'…"

"I assure you that I could easily enter any field if I chose to Malfoy, unlike some others I could mention…"

"Yes I'm sure the Chosen One and his ginger pal would struggle with the requirements of most professions… but do not despair Granger if you use your new connections I'm sure you can secure them a job in the Ministry. After all _someone _has to clean the toilets for the rest of the staff…"

"As much as you would love me to react to that immature babbling, Malfoy, we both know that _Harry_ has enough connections of his own to get a job as your supervisor if he wanted it. Although I cannot imagine why he would want to endure your _delightful _presence five days a week from nine to five…"

"Can't you? Surely you're not that blind as to miss the fact that your _best mate _is so obsessed with me that he cannot talk of nothing else-"

"Really? I knew you were a narcissist but this is a bit too much even for you Malfoy-"

"Don't deny the truth Granger, Potter stares a bit too long to be considered normal-"

"-an ego so large it could fill-"

"- it is flattering I admit but I am afraid I don't swing-"

"-have been hanging around with Crabbe and Goyle so long your brain is shrinking-"

"- I could introduce him to Blaise though he likes little wizards as well-"

"-not that it was working that well before, I wonder who dropped you as a baby-"

"-although Blaise is rather selective don't think he will fancy the bespectacled git-"

"-only logical explanation for the malfunctioning-"

Hermione and Draco were way too involved in their verbal sparring to realise that they were arguing quite loudly in front of the entire company. The Notts were rather entertained by the whole thing, Mr Nott even smiling proudly at his niece for verbally abusing the Malfoy heir, perhaps secretly wishing he had the freedom to do the same to his father. The Malfoys, on the other side, were divided, as Narcissa was congratulating herself for hosting such an interesting dinner and Lucius was more displeased at himself for unknowingly starting this discussion in the first place. Surprisingly, it was Draco's disgruntled fiancé who finally put an end to the argument.

"I really don't understand this", she said rather loudly.

Both the bickering siblings turned sharply at her with the same condescending smirk on their faces.

"What is it you don't understand now, Daphne?", asked Draco.

"Why do you need a job in the first place? You're not a muggleborn anymore you are a pureblood from a respectable family."

"Two respectable families", cut in Mr Nott.

"Well, in any case, you no longer need to work for a living! Pursuing a career is a man's role."

"And what is a woman's role, if I may ask?", asked Hermione through clenched teeth, certain she wouldn't like the answer.

"Why, to find a respectable husband, of course!", cried Astoria. "Like I have already done!" She smiled sweetly at Draco as she added this.

Hermione's eyes were as big as saucers as she registered that information, and she seemed undecided between erupting at Daphne and fleeing the scene as fast as possible. The adults looked uneasily at each other when they saw that, looking for the words to appease her.

Draco, who had spent the last fifteen minutes arguing with her, was surprisingly the first to come to his sister rescue, though even he didn't know if it was because he felt kinship towards his new sister, or because he detested his future wife.

"Well, _Hermione_", he stressed her first name "would want a challenging career along with the husband Daphne, seeing as she actually has the potential for success, unlike some other pureblood women I could mention."

"None of us would, of course, stop you from pursuing success that would only serve to bring more influence to the Malfoy and Nott families, dear", added Narcissa. "After all, both Catherine and I would have loved to have had the same opportunity, had we not met with the disapproval of our families."

"That is very true", agreed Catherine. "Our fathers were, unfortunately, very adamant about this. But that is no reason for the girls of this generation to be deprived of a career should they wish for one."

"Of course, pursuing a career does not imply that marriage and family are to be forgotten. We must find a suitable husband for you, Hermione as we have found for Draco. It is, after all, your duty to continue the family name", added Narcissa, causing Hermione to lose whatever colour she had gained after being assured of the possibility of a career.

"Now hold on a second, Narcissa. It is not your responsibility to arrange a marriage for her. She is a Nott before she is a Malfoy. Or do you forget that she was born out of wedlock? She is not your child Narcissa, you are not even closely related to her!"

"Alexander!", cried Catherine, appalled that he would bring up Lucius' betrayal of his wife so callously.

"I don't give a rat's arse about propriety anymore, Catherine! I lost my little sister because of a Malfoy, and I do not intend to lose my niece to the same accursed family!"

"How dare you offend my wife in my own home Nott!"

"Well you got there first didn't you Malfoy? Or is infidelity not an offence in the mighty house of Malfoy? Perhaps it is not… After all your name says it all… Mal Fois, those of the bad faith!"

"That is enough!", cried Narcissa imperiously, causing all heads to turn towards her. She gracefully stood up from her chair and turned her gaze at the younger members of the party, lingering on Hermione's ashen face.

"I will not have this discussion in front of the children! Draco, please escort everyone to the drawing room. We shall join you there shortly."

Draco, Theo, Daphne and Hermione all stood at Narcissa's commanding voice, though Hermione was visibly shaking. Draco quickly led them to the doors and shut them behind them. They stood in silence for a moment, until Theo smiled crookedly at the rest of the group, gently putting his arm around Hermione's shaking shoulders.

"Well, Draco", he said, "never again will I call your family dinners dull."


End file.
